The Jaws of Hell
by Zeroun
Summary: Living beings never know their limits until they push themselves past the extreme, and Kaiah seems determined to find hers.  Will her team mates be able to pull her back from the edge?  Or is Hell to be her final destination?  Violence, language, EDITING.
1. Prologue

_**It's been a while since I've done any sort of writing, so I'm sure I'm out of practice. Oh well, I'll get back to it.**_

_**I'm going to be avoiding canon characters here like the plague, where I can, and will stick with the OCs. They belong to me, unless otherwise stated.**_

_**Mass Effect and all its characters and plotlines are property of BioWare. I am not making any money off this, and if anything I will be SPENDING money. I made this fanfiction and all following chapters solely for the entertainment of myself and others. (And it gives me something to do during the night shift.)**_

_**Kaiah and co. belong to me.**_

_**Reviews are welcomed and encouraged, as is constructive criticism. Flames are not.**_

* * *

The dim sound of heavy boots on metal barely registered in her mind. It should have roused her from her sleep, and under any normal circumstance it would have, but the sedative was still very thick in her system. She could barely open her eyes, much less lift a hand. She could hear a door slide open, and the footsteps came closer. It sounded like there were three, but with how badly everything was echoing in her head, it could have just been one.

More movement to the side suggested that there was already someone else in the area with her. Mumbled voices drifted into her limited consciousness, but it took several moments for her to finally understand what they were saying. "-tanding damage to the human's implants. How was she able to use her biotics to such an extent? It must have been excruciating."

"You should give us more credit, sir. We've already proven ourselves to be wonderfully resilient as a species." There was the barest hint of a smile to the words. They sounded like they were coming from an older woman. "I can't say how well or fast she'll recover, though. We'll have to see if her will to live can match her will to fight."

Kaiah drifted back into blissful unconsciousness, the voices fading into the murky depths of her mind.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Kaiah Reckly had been born on a backwater colony, on a no-name planet, in some barely explored system in the Terminus. The colony had been contaminated by element zero fallout after a freighter that was conveniently "passing through" had exploded after an unscheduled high-velocity reentry into the atmosphere. Or so the news vids claimed, anyway. She had been conceived only a month or two prior to the accident. Shortly after she was born, her father moved the family back to Earth for health care that the colony wasn't advanced enough to provide. Even if she wanted to, Kaiah couldn't have told anyone anything about the colony, much less where it was located.

Her mother was diagnosed with cancer when Kaiah was barely a year old. It was vicious enough to take her life a mere three months after they found it. With her mother gone, her father turned to drinking and dusting to deal with the loss. By the time Kaiah turned three, her father was being kept in a rehab center and she was under the care of her uncle, a sand dealer by the name of Samson.

Naturally, law enforcement in "that kind of neighborhood" couldn't be bothered to worry about a child being raised by a drug dealer. Gang activity and violence took priority over something as simple as custody of a child.

Kaiah, now at six years of age, sat in the corner of the living room, watching her uncle make another sale to a couple who clearly spent more money on red sand than on food. Even as credits were being transferred, the woman was already cutting lines of sand onto the mirrored table. As Samson was apparently more focused on his deal than his niece, Kaiah quietly snuck out the back way of the house. The gang that Samson belonged to controlled the area pretty well, so crime was "organized" while they maintained some strange sense of order. Punishments were severe for those who disobeyed the local crime boss, but Kaiah was pleasantly unaware of how dark her neighborhood really was. All she knew was that she was safe and free to wander where she wanted, as long as she stayed close to her uncle's house. It didn't stop her from finding a place to be alone and feel secure, though, and her favorite spot was Mr. Crawson's gazebo. It was by far the prettiest place in the slums, in her opinion, and it was clear that David Crawson spent his time as a gardener and landscaper.

She knew she was like him, in a way. The girl didn't like sharing her secret, as she felt like she was enough of an outcast already. But when he caught her practicing her "magic," he calmed her and eased her fears by showing her that he could do the same thing. After that, it was as though Kaiah had found her best friend. She would come and visit as much as possible, whenever she was able to get out of the house. Sometimes she would sit and watch the vid screen while he worked, or she would help him in the yard. Other times, he would show her the pictures or souvenirs he had collected during his military career as an Alliance marine, and Crawson even let her root through them on occasion to satisfy her own growing curiosity. To the former marine, it was refreshing to see a child like Kaiah so fascinated with the service.

Every now and then, though, he would try to teach her about biotics. It was slow going, especially since she was only a child and possessed no implants.

"How come I can only make leaves and paper move?" Kaiah asked. She had come over to find Crawson busy in the garage, and he was taking a break while she attempted to use her biotics like she had seen him do. So far, it wasn't going so well.

"It takes a lot of practice, kiddo." Crawson smiled and gave her a reassuring pat on the head. "Years of practice, even. And you get surgery so you can have these little microchips installed in your brain so you can do even more things."

"Eeewww!" Kaiah squealed, despite her giggling. "In your brain? Doesn't it hurt?"

"Not really, you get used to it." He spoke as he limped towards the door. Crawson was lame in one leg due to an injury while serving, but Kaiah never asked and he never explained. "You hungry, kid?"

Kaiah was always hungry, so it was more of a rhetorical question. Every adult she had ever known had told her it was because she was a "growing girl," but Crawson knew it was more than that. Human biotics generally burned a greater amount of calories when using their talents. Apparently, that also applied to the ones who had yet to receive their implants. When he had first met the girl, he had sworn she was starving.

The girl bounced off the crate that had served as her seat, closely trailing Crawson into the house. "What are we making? Can I help?" Her shoulder length black hair flew about wildly as she ran, blue eyes lighting up excitedly.

_Always full of questions_. Crawson smiled to himself. "Of course you can! Grilled cheese sounds easy enough."

"With tomatoes!"

He couldn't help himself, and nearly surprised himself with his own laughter. "Alright, alright, with tomatoes."

The two worked in silence. Crawson tried to keep himself from laughing at Kaiah's seriousness, though part of it made him sad. A kid should have the chance to have a childhood, and he wasn't sure she had the best opportunity. It was unfortunate. It didn't take long for the lunch to be made, and before long they were seated out on the back patio with the food and some iced tea. That was when Kaiah asked, out of the blue, "Can I get implants too, Mr. Crawson?"

The question actually caught the man off-guard. He stopped in the middle of chewing, and gave the girl an appraising look. "Why do you want that?"

"Cause I want to do more than make paper float." She frowned. "Are they expensive? Uncle Samson doesn't give me an allowance, like other kids get from their parents. Should I get a job to pay for it?"

Crawson set his sandwich down on his plate, frowning in thought as he chose his words carefully. "It's possible you wouldn't have to pay for them, kid. Not with credits, anyway." He paused, waiting to see her reaction.

Kaiah definitely didn't disappoint. "So what do I have to do to get them?"

At least she doesn't assume they're free. "Well, I got mine when I enlisted. The Alliance footed the bill, and I agreed to spend some time in the service." He picked up his sandwich again. "Does anyone know about your biotics?"

"No. I don't want other people to know. They might treat me weird..." She peered at him thoughtfully. "Do I have to join the marines, too?"

"Only if you want to. They wouldn't let you enlist until you turned eighteen, though."

"... so I'd get the implant when I'm old?"

Crawson laughed, and nearly spilled his drink in the process. "No. You'd get it when you're about ten or eleven. Maybe twelve. And once you're done with general biotic training, you'd go through boot camp for marine training." He stopped, as though to give her time to think about what he said. "You'd be away from your uncle for a long time."

Kaiah's expression darkened suddenly at that. Crawson had never seen the girl make such a face and he was surprised. "That's okay." She finally said. "Uncle Samson isn't a very good uncle, anyway."


	2. The Early Days: Beginning the Process

_**Mass Effect and all its characters and plotlines are property of BioWare. I am not making any money off this, and if anything I will be SPENDING money. I made this fanfiction and all following chapters solely for the entertainment of myself and others. (And it gives me something to do during the night shift.)**_

_**Kaiah and co. belong to me.**_

_**Reviews are welcomed and encouraged, as is constructive criticism. Flames are not.**_

* * *

Crawson thought long and hard about Kaiah's question. In the end, he decided it was probably in the girl's best interest to get her out of her uncle's house. The ex-marine wasn't stupid, he was well aware of the living conditions at Samson's place of residence. The last thing that poor kid needed was to get caught up in her uncle's unsavory lifestyle. So Crawson didn't have a problem going to the Alliance about Kaiah and her biotic talents.

Then he went to law enforcement to have Samson dealt with.

Walking with Kaiah's hand firmly clenching the outside seam of his pant leg, Crawson guided her up the stairs of the large Alliance owned facility. They had to get there by shuttle, as their part of town was nowhere near anything that had to do with the Alliance, let alone biotic training. But that was perfectly fine; it was Kaiah's first shuttle ride, and Crawson didn't have to pay a single credit for it.

A woman was waiting for them in the lobby by the time they arrived. She wore a white lab coat open over a dark blue business suit, to show that the skirt was only slightly shorter than the coat itself. Her long red hair was up in a tight bun on the back of her head, and her dark rimmed glasses made her green eyes look slightly intimidating to Kaiah. Even as the woman smiled down at her, Kaiah attempted to hide herself behind Crawson's good leg.

"It's alright, kiddo. She's won't hurt you. She's going to help us." He kept one hand on Kaiah's head, extending the other to the woman as he addressed her. "Crawson. David Crawson, former Alliance marine."

"Doctor Murrows, from the human biotics program." The woman smiled, looking at Kaiah once more. "And who is this?"

Both adults now focused on the small girl, and her discomfort was very obvious by the look on her face. Crawson finally had to guide her forward. "Come on, introduce yourself. Say hello."

Dr. Murrows knelt down carefully in front of Kaiah, to be more on her eye level. As she spoke, she gave a comforting smile. "Hello there. My name's Emily. What's your name?"

It took a moment for the child to answer. In her silence, Kaiah watched Dr. Murrows with a surprisingly analytical look. "My name's Kaiah."

"Kaiah? You have a pretty name, Kaiah. Would you and Mr. Crawson like to come walk with me? I'd like to talk to you both."

Kaiah still looked unsure, but Crawson gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry so much, we can trust her. She'll help you do more than make leaves float, I promise." He winked as they started to walk. "It'll take some time, and a lot of hard work. But I bet you can do it, kid."

Now that she was starting to relax and feel more curious instead of shy, Kaiah walked between the two adults, wide eyes staring at the new surroundings. The interior of the complex was like a cross between a hospital and an office building. The gray and blue molted carpet stood out against the sterile white walls and counters. Some people wore business suits, others wore lab coats like Dr. Murrows, and a few were even wearing military uniforms. The doctor led them straight through the building, passing every door and hall along the way, before coming to one of the building's rear exits. Stepping past the doorway, Kaiah saw what could only be described as a gigantic park. In the center was a large pond, good for watching local wildlife or floating out in a small row boat. The walking path that surrounded it branched off seemingly at random, leading to other sections of the park. A big playground sat about midway between the building and the pond, and at the opposite end of the property were several courts and fields for different sports.

"Whoah..." Kaiah stood still for a moment, taking in the site. It made her home, as quaint as it was, look rather dingy in comparison.

"This park is open to our employees and patients, and their families." Dr. Murrows explained. "It has a variety of things for a wide range of ages. Would you like to play on the playground while I talk to Mr. Crawson?"

Crawson gave Kaiah a gentle push. "Go on, have some fun. I can see other kids down there. You might make a new friend."

Kaiah hesitated, glancing between the two adults. After Dr. Murrows gave an approving nod, Kaiah reluctantly detached herself from Crawson's leg. Now that she was reverting back to her shy mindset, she moved with a timid sort of slowness, as though expecting some bully to step out of nowhere and get her.

Once she was sure that the girl was out of earshot, Dr. Murrows turned to speak to Crawson. "How long ago did she begin manifesting biotic abilities?"

"I don't know the exact date, but I first saw it almost a year ago."

"Do her parents know? I'm assuming you aren't her father."

"No, I'm not. Her mother is dead, from cancer. I believe her dad is in a ward or detention facility. Red sand."

"Then you're her legal guardian."

Crawson was silent for a moment. "No point in lying, I guess. I'm not, but her uncle is. If he's not in prison now, I think he's on his way."

Emily pulled down her glasses to eye Crawson over the frames. "On what charges?"

"Involvement with Chrodraconis, and drug related charges."

"Red sand?" Her answer came in the form of a nod. "I see. What is Chrodraconis?"

"Another bunch of thugs. New gangs are popping up all over the place. Like weeds."

"Hmm.. how is she mentally?"

The ex-marine shrugged. "Seems sane enough to me. Comes over pretty often. I don't think she likes her uncle. Or maybe she likes knowing there's another biotic she can go to."

The doctor nodded as the two of them started walking in the direction Kaiah had wandered off in. "I suppose we'll find out then, soon enough at any rate. I'll put the paperwork in after we're done here, and then send for any personal belongings if she wants them."

Crawson stopped short. "You're going to take her? Now, just like that? She's just a kid! She needs to have a childhood!"

"Is she having one now, Mr. Crawson? No parents, and a sand dealer for an uncle? She would be much better off with us. At least that way, we can help her prepare for the training she'll be receiving."

"And what if she doesn't want to enlist?" Deep down, Crawson was begging the universe not to let her do it. He didn't want Kaiah to go through the same thing he had gone through. The training itself was far from a picnic, but there were things out there in the galaxy that would want nothing more than to turn the girl into a messy pile of meat and bone, without the slightest bit of hesitation.

"She will have her choice. We won't force her into military service." Dr. Murrows continued to speak as they paused on the trail. They could see Kaiah sitting off to the side of the path, across from the playground. Instead of playing with the other children, she had chosen to isolate herself. Dr. Murrows and Crawson could see the faint shimmer of dark energy radiating off the girl's hands, like heat waves off pavement. "She's special, Mr. Crawson. You did the right thing by bringing her here."

"I hope so. I won't have that kid being used in tests or experiments." Crawson spoke darkly as he watches the leaves dance in front of Kaiah with the movement of her hands.


	3. The Early Days: Pain of Loss

_**Mass Effect and all its characters and plotlines are property of BioWare. I am not making any money off this, and if anything I will be SPENDING money. I made this fanfiction and all following chapters solely for the entertainment of myself and others. (And it gives me something to do during the night shift.)**_

_**Kaiah and co. belong to me.**_

_**Reviews are welcomed and encouraged, as is constructive criticism. Flames are not.**_

* * *

The punch came quick, connecting with the right side of her jaw and knocking her clean off her feet. Kaiah sprawled, stunned from the blow, and received a vicious kick to her midsection before she could recover. Finally back to her senses, Kaiah curled herself up and rolled, trying to protect her vital spots while regaining some breathing room.

While it wasn't her first fight, it was definitely not her most enjoyable one. Combat training was very different from the biotic lessons and tests she had gone through as a child and a teenager. When she had turned eighteen and completed her biotic training, Kaiah had gone and done the one thing David Crawson had prayed she wouldn't do.

Kaiah Reckly enlisted as an Alliance marine.

Right off the bat, she had rubbed several of the other trainees the wrong way. As a child, she had always been timid and soft spoken, especially after she discovered her biotic powers. No one could really say when it happened, but sometime between then and now, she had developed an outspoken and somewhat aggressive personality. The doctors had several theories, among which was a mental or personality disorder or an unusual reaction to the L3 implants and testing.

In her opinion though, Kaiah was pretty sure she had just been coming out of her shell. She was no longer the shy little girl who did "magic." Kaiah was maturing into a young woman with great biotic potential, who knew exactly what she wanted and was never afraid to speak her mind, even when she was addressing people well above her pay grade. At that point, she'd do it respectfully. Aside that, she didn't believe there was one single thing wrong with her.

Unfortunately, her lack of tact and an absence of a filter between her brain and mouth often got her into trouble.

Continuing her roll, Kaiah let the momentum carry her to her feet. Gaze leveled at her adversaries, two men and a single woman, Kaiah raised her left hand and made a sweeping gesture to the side. With a yelp of surprise, one of the young men was lifted off his feet and thrown across the weight room. He hit the wall and bounced before crumpling to the floor, unconscious.

"You think it's okay to just throw people around with your biotics? Just shows you're a coward who won't fight like a real soldier!" The remaining man made a run at her, brandishing a small weight like a club. He was a heavier marine, unlike his incapacitated friend on the floor, who was lean and wiry.

Kaiah grabbed hold of the weight as it came at her, pushing it to the side and bringing her opponent down with her. Without pausing to give him another chance to swing, she crossed her forearms and jammed them against his neck. Grabbing at the portion of his collar behind his neck with both hands, she yanked him forward with the back of his collar and pressed down with the sides of her forearms. The other marine coughed and wheezed, hands trying to grab at her neck even as his face turned red, then blue. "What was that about fighting like a real soldier?" Kaiah hissed. "YOU came at ME. With a DUMBBELL. I may be a biotic who likes to throw people around when they try to pick a fight with me, but you're the one who didn't have the balls to go at it, one-on-one." By the time she had finished talking, he had already passed out. As she started to get to her feet, Kaiah couldn't help but snicker to herself. "Heheheheh... dumbbell."

Before she had completely stood up, she felt the impact as it lifted her off her feet and into the nearby wall. Gasping from the surprise, Kaiah was struggling to stand when she felt a pressure bear down on her. Grinding her teeth with the effort to move, Kaiah managed to turn her head to the side to see her attacker. Blue energy could be seen coiling off the other woman. _Damn, now I have to deal with another biotic.. _Kaiah could see the deep scowl on the woman's face. It was one of malicious contempt, and it made Kaiah just a little uneasy. "What the hell is your problem, Stanson?" Kaiah still struggled to move against the biotic power that was restraining her. "What's gotten into you that would make you act this retarded?"

"Does it matter? You've been nothing but trouble here. You could have killed Brian!" Apparently, even in this day and age the victim was still the guilty one in crimes, especially when said victim defended herself against someone who had every intention of doing her harm.

"Bitch, please..." Kaiah finally got an arm under herself as she managed to roll over. It took an enormous amount of effort to even begin to pick herself up. The last thing she wanted to do was crush Stanson's head just to get to her feet. "I only finished what he started. You of all people should know my rule." Kaiah managed to launch a couple plates at Stanson, but the throw went too wide and too low thanks to her uncomfortable position. "Piss me off, I cross you out."

"Screw you, asshole!" Stanson suddenly jerked her hand up, yanking Kaiah off the ground and suspending her in the air.

"Don't go and do anything you're going to regret." Kaiah quipped, keeping her glare directed at Stanson, showing her defiance. "Your fuck buddy didn't get hurt that bad." She braced herself for the punishment she was about to endure. This part was never pleasant, but she took heart in the fact that they wouldn't kill her. Not on purpose, anyway. It wouldn't have been worth the punishment they'd get from any of the officers.

The pain, however, never came. Stanson's face contorted into an uncomfortable grimace as her body seized up. Kaiah felt the mass effect field dissipating around her, and she landed in a crouch as soon as she dropped. Anger swelled up inside her, and she fought to keep it down. How DARE they! How dare they try to jump her, and then tell her that another incident was her fault! Kaiah was sick and tired of having to fight her way through something as simple as training. Whoever said basic was the hard part was full of crap. "I'm tired of this." Kaiah drew her hand back, drawing in the dark energy and preparing to hurl it at Stanson.

Kaiah never got the chance to knock her across the room. She felt the stunner prongs stick her through her shirt, and it was extremely hard to ignore the electric pulses it was sending through her body. In a matter of seconds, Kaiah watched as the darkness closed in on her...

The next thing Kaiah knew, someone was dousing her in the face with ice water. Sputtering, she jolted up herself up into a seated position, preparing to defend herself again. A brawl was always more fun without the biotics, but she wasn't about to let them have it easy. Before she could throw anyone, though, someone grabbed her shoulder and forced her back down. "Relax, lance corporal. You're in the medical ward."

Kaiah didn't relax, but she did look around. She was indeed in the medical bays. As far as she could tell, she was the only one in this particular section. At the foot of her bed stood her commanding officer, Captain Megan Ruthers. A "tough but fair" type of leader, she was as hard on her normal soldiers as she was the biotic ones. Everyone got the same harsh, cruddy treatment.

It usually meant bad news for whoever she was staring at.

Right now, Captain Ruthers was completely focused on Kaiah.

"So, uh... ma'am. How long was I out?" Kaiah grinned meekly, laying where she had been pushed.

"A couple hours, not too long." One hand was kept behind her back, and the other held a datapad. The captain looked down at the device, then back up at Kaiah. "Overall, not bad. Cracked ribs are about the worst of it. You're getting some nasty bruises, but I've seen a lot worse." Captain Ruthers narrowed her eyes at Kaiah dangerously. "Would you like to explain yourself, marine? Again?"

Kaiah was silent for a moment, before making another attempt to sit up. This time, she could feel the sharp, stabbing pain in her right side. She was still dressed in her physical training uniform, and she could see bruises forming on her arms. It wasn't hard to imagine what she'd find under the clothing. Kaiah turned to the side carefully, allowing her legs to hang over the edge of the bed. She felt like a gorilla had given her a beat down. "I only defended myself, ma'am. I didn't start it, I only finished it. Ma'am."

Captain Ruthers seemed to study Kaiah for a moment, before finally giving a single nod. "Can you manage a walk? We need to talk."

Kaiah grimaced inwardly. That was rarely a good thing to hear. "I can manage, Captain." Gingerly sliding off the bed, she fought to keep from showing her discomfort as her body was forced to support itself. "Where are we headed, ma'am?"

"Nowhere in particular. You just need to walk those bruises off, marine." The officer turned and started walking, out the door and down the hall. Kaiah discovered it was actually quite uncomfortable to try and keep up with her. "Tell me what happened."

Struggling to suppress her hobble, Kaiah managed to keep pace with her commanding officer. "I was in the weight room, going through my exercises, when they came in. They tried heckling me, but I ignored it until they got physical. That's when I started to defend myself."

"So they began the physical confrontation." Captain Ruthers raised an eyebrow. "I understand you used your biotics."

"Only to defend myself and discourage farther assaults, ma'am."

"And what about what you said just before the stunner hit you? I may not be a biotic, soldier, but I can recognize aggression."

No use in trying to weasel her way out of that one. Kaiah knew better than to attempt to lie to the captain. Besides, she'd string her up like a piece of game and flay her alive. Kaiah would have been lucky not to be used for target practice. "I may have gotten a little carried away at that point, ma'am." If she was lucky, Kaiah's voice wouldn't give away her nervousness. "I just wanted to make it clear that I wouldn't take threats to my person lightly."

There was silence between the two as they continued down the hall. As they walked, Kaiah couldn't help but notice that the captain was holding a small OSD in the hand that was kept behind her back. She thought it was odd that her superior officer would just carry one around for the hell of it. "Your training is almost complete, Reckly. You don't need to be getting yourself into this kind of trouble before your career as a marine even gets started. Besides, we need soldiers like you."

"Ma'am, I'm getting the feeling that this isn't just about my incident." Kaiah tried to pick her words carefully. The last thing she wanted to be doing was any sort of "correctional activity" before her body had recovered. She liked exercise, but she didn't like getting her fourth point of contact kicked around. "If I'm going to get written up or reprimanded, just say so. Hell, give it to me here. Just don't drag it on, ma'am."

Ruthers stopped short and turned around sharply, nearly causing Kaiah to collide with her. She held the OSD out to the younger soldier, the look on her face a cross between regret and stone-cold acceptance. "This just came from the Embassies on Earth, lance corporal. David Crawson is dead."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Kaiah's mind withdrew from the painful memories, and she felt herself floating in the darkness. She was aware of her current physical state; the sedatives were still thick in her system, and she could still feel the tubes in her mouth and nose. There was another feeling, too... something warm and wet was slowly trailing down her cheek bone to her ear.

Again, muffled voices tried to cut through the fog in her mind. It was hard to focus on them with so many drugs floating along in her bloodstream, but she was finally able to latch onto them. "-is normal? She's... well, she's crying. She's not in pain, is she?" This voice was different from the others. It was musical, in a sense, and warm with concern. Kaiah could feel a hand grasp her own, but for all the effort she put forth, she couldn't even twitch a finger.

All this warmth was sure to make her slip back into the void again.

"No, dear, I highly doubt that. There's such a high amount of medicine in her system, I'd be surprised if she had any sense of awareness under it all." This voice was easier to recognize. Light footsteps came closer, carrying a sense of wisdom brought on by age and experience.

"What happened to her?"

"I honestly couldn't tell you. They wouldn't give me the specifics. Only that she pulled off a biotic stunt of such a high magnitude, that it fried her implant and caused physical harm to her body. I don't want to imagine the torment she had to go through to do that."

The hand squeezed her own, and still Kaiah couldn't get her body to respond. The signals in her brain just weren't making it to her limbs. "Would it be alright if I stayed a little longer? I had hoped that she would come back safely... This just doesn't seem fair to her. What else happened?"

"Besides the injuries caused by her implants and the use of her biotics, she's suffered numerous instances of physical trauma. It included multiple shattered bones and damage to her internal organs and nervous system. It would be a miracle if she could move anything below her shoulders, and this is assuming we can ever take her off life support." The doctor's voice sounded less than confident. "I'm afraid her soldiering days are over."

"Oh, goddess, no. That would break her heart..."

If only that hadn't been an understatement. Despair sank its claws deeper into her core, submitting her to a pain that was nearly unbearable. It didn't matter how hard she tried, Kaiah could not cry or scream or even swear on her own. Once again, her mind succumbed to the cold embrace of complete unconsciousness. It was the only place that the harshness of reality couldn't reach her.


	4. Where It All Began: A Promise Made

_**Mass Effect and all its characters and plotlines are property of BioWare. I am not making any money off this, and if anything I will be SPENDING money. I made this fanfiction and all following chapters solely for the entertainment of myself and others. (And it gives me something to do during the night shift.)**_

_**Kaiah and co. belong to me.**_

_**Reviews are welcomed and encouraged, as is constructive criticism. Flames are not.**_

* * *

The memories returned to her as soon as she was asleep again.

Kaiah stood before the modest headstone, gaze riveted to the marker, as though demanding that it give her the answers she was looking for. The files on the OSD did very little to ease her questions. According to the reports, Crawson had died of natural causes on his living room floor. Police said they found no evidence that suggested foul play. But the marine didn't trust them. They had been crooked when she was just a child here, and she had yet to see anything that indicated any positive changes. It just didn't make any sense. Crawson had been the very picture of health, despite being lame in one leg. There was no reason he'd just keel over without warning.

"I don't understand..." It wasn't like Kaiah made a habit of talking to herself, but she hadn't seen Crawson since she began her military training. Now, it was like she was finally able to speak to her friend again. "You were supposed to come watch me graduate. I got promoted... but then my captain chewed me out and told me she'd knock me down a rank or two if I kept getting into fights." She mumbled to herself, pausing to look over her shoulder at the road behind her.

The jeep was still there, as was her fellow marine, Tucker Mason. They had gone through basic training together, and had become rather close afterwards. She had even managed to stay in contact with him through the training they received separately, and it was sheer luck that they got leave at the same time. Tucker was currently watching her, though he would glance around the area regularly. Even off duty, his head was on a swivel. "I know what you're thinking, Crawson, but he's a good guy. We're close, but... well, the Alliance plans on keeping us busy. Maybe we can try something in the future. I don't even know what's going to happen to us after we return to normal duty, though."

Silence followed her words as she returned her gaze to the headstone, then looked down at the datapad in her hand. On it, she had loaded up every message Crawson had ever sent her, as well as the police and autopsy reports. News reports were ignored; she found that journalism was driven largely by opinion, and she cared little for the thoughts of others. Kaiah was almost fanatical about the whole thing. She'd find out what really happened, even if it was the last thing she did. "I still go back and read some of the messages you sent me. Now that you're gone, it's like they're saying something totally different. If I didn't know any better, I'd say there was something encrypted in a couple of these. What's with some of these weird one-liners under your signature? Seriously, man... we're marines. Devil dogs, jarheads, leathernecks. And you're giving me codes?" Kaiah chuckled to herself. "You were better to me than my own uncle ever was, closest thing to family when I was growing up. Why'd this have to happen? Why'd you have to go, too?"

The headstone offered nothing in response except a peaceful quiet.

With a sigh, she turned off the datapad and stuck it back in her haversack. While she was unwilling to let this go, she still had other things to focus on. The dead wouldn't go anywhere, and she was sure that she could eventually find out what really happened. "I know you always said that people who can't let go of the past are doomed to walk a dark path," The young woman turned to start back towards the jeep. "But I'm not giving up on this yet. I never claimed to be a good person, Crawson. I just don't know when to give up. You taught me that too, you know." She swallowed the lump that had suddenly appeared in her throat. "If there's someone out there that's responsible for what happened to you, I'll find them. If I have to, I'll beat the reason out of them. And if I don't like their excuse, then I'll really make them pay."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Kaiah wasn't sure what it was that had pulled her out of the murky depths , but even in her coma-like state, she became acutely aware of the sudden change in her environment. It had gone very quiet, very quickly. The presence that had provided the warmth was gone, but she got the feeling that something else was headed her way, if it wasn't already there.

Her suspicions were confirmed when she heard the sound of metal sliding roughly against metal as a door was forced open. The sedative seemed to be in it renewing stages, just beginning to dissipate before the computer delivered another dose. "Disconnect the machines and get the human hooked up to our stuff. We don't know how fast they're going to respond, so we need to be quick." A rough, guttural voice said. At that command, several sets of footsteps approached her, and Kaiah could hear her medical equipment being tampered with.

For the first time since her last mission, panic began to set in and her fight-or-flight reaction went off. Digging deep, Kaiah once more tried to force herself to move. Slowly, she managed to crack open her eyes, gritting her teeth as the dim lighting registered painfully in her mind. Sadly, it wasn't the only thing she saw. Standing above her was the ugly face of a batarian.

Kaiah immediately started, her body screaming at her in pain as she tried to thrash. She reached up to yank out whatever wires and tubes had been connected to her, despite the braces that were supposed to keep her skeleton stable. In retaliation, the batarian grabbed her by the wrist and twisted it down. The bones in her arm gave several loud, sickening pops as they were snapped again. Before Kaiah could scream in pain and frustration, the alien's hand clamped down over her mouth, muffling the noise to a dull moan.

"I don't think so, girlie." He rasped as his three companions, also batarians, continued to work. "It'll do us no good to lose such a golden opportunity like yourself." He produced a syringe from a pocket on the shoulder of his armor while he talked, and jabbed the needle into the side of Kaiah's neck. It didn't take long for the drug to start working, filling her limbs with a heavy numbness. "What better way to get back at the humans and the damned Alliance, than to use one of their own? Don't worry, you'll have company. It's not like one person will be enough to really stick it to them."

The intruders finished working as Kaiah lost consciousness. In the span of several moments, they had the marine hooked up to a few portable life support systems and were transferring her to a stretcher. The sound of crackling bones was coldly ignored as her braces were manhandled and, in some cases, broken. It wasn't long until the squad had disappeared with their cargo, leaving the door to the clinic wide open.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

**_Very early the next morning_**

Althaea Dasrin sprinted up the stairs, too impatient and infuriated to take the elevators. If someone didn't get out of her way, she pushed them. If they refused to move, she punched them. Sometimes she gave it a bit of a biotic spice to make it clear that she was in no mood to be screwed with.

The asari had gotten the call well before any normal Citadel citizen was supposed to be awake. A mix of rage and despair swirled in a maelstrom inside her mind, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to sit in a corner and cry, or scream a multitude of colorful obscenities at some unfortunate volus. Her friend had been abducted - surely, there wasn't a better term than that in this case - from the medical clinic, practically right out from under C-Sec's nose, and she hadn't even recovered from her injuries yet. As she ran, Althaea swore she was going to make someone pay.

When she had calmed down, Althaea Dasrin would be out for blood.

Rounding the corner without even bothering to slow down, Althaea nearly ran over Doctor Richards, the human who ran the raided clinic. His wife and assistant, Ellen, sat on a bench near the main door, which was blocked by two C-Sec officers and a crime scene holo-line. "Althaea! It's good to see you." The doctor and his wife both looked tired, their age more apparent than usual. While not as old as the asari herself, who was close to being two hundred years old, they were considered past their prime in their species. "We found out shortly before we called you. C-Sec called in the middle of the night... For all their talk about being so fast to respond, they sure took their time with this one."

All Althaea could do was stare at the doorway, speechless. She could see where Kaiah had been, and the lack of care that had been taken in moving her. Machines had been knocked to the ground, the bedside table was overturned, and a piece of one of her braces was still attached to the bed frame. Those braces were supposed to stabilize her shattered skeleton until it could be repaired and healed. If that brace had been snapped, it meant that whoever had taken her away cared little about inflicting pain on her.

Althaea clenched her jaw tightly. This wasn't supposed to happen. Kaiah was supposed to come back safely from her patrol, she had PROMISED. While she never would have admitted it out loud, Althaea had become somewhat infatuated with the human. It was hard to tell what it was that started it... Maybe it was at Chora's Den, where Kaiah had gotten into a brawl with a human male to "defend her honor" when he attempted to buy Althaea like a common hooker. Not that the asari needed the help, due to her very checkered past, but she was still flattered. She had never thought highly of humans until she met Kaiah, who proved to be quite the enigma, and Althaea never could resist a challenge. Kaiah had been reluctant to be anything but friends, which was nothing but a double dare for the alien.

And yet, Althaea had come to care for the other woman. This kidnapping was just the universe rubbing salt into her open wound.

"What's C-Sec plan to do about this?" Althaea asked quietly, finally turning to look at Richards.

"They don't have a lot of security footage, just the barest glimpse. Apparently, the cameras were shot out." Richard's furrowed brow only deepened farther. "Sounds to me these people knew exactly what they were doing."

With firm resolve, Althaea closed the distance between herself and the two guards. As she expected, the one closest raised an arm to block her. Before the human even managed to squeak, she grabbed him by the throat and hefted him up against the wall. Blue energy rippled across her form as she turned her menacing stare on the unfortunate remaining officer. "I will only say this once." She began. "I am Althaea Dasrin, a commando. You will give me a copy of whatever security footage you could salvage, so I can find my friend and bring her back home. If I have to pay you credits for it, fine, but you WILL get me a copy." Her voice took on a dangerously sweet tone. "Is there anything I need to clarify?"

The salarian could only gape for a moment, stunned, before shaking his head rapidly.

_Newbie._ "Good." Althaea cooed. "Not get moving." At that, she released her victim and let him slide down to the floor, gasping for air.

Ellen and Dr. Richards both stared at her, stunned. They could never have anticipated her actions, and seeing her like that actually made them rather nervous. "Althaea... when did.. how... you're going after her?" Ellen was the first to recover. "I'm concerned for Corporal Reckly. It doesn't look like they took a lot of care when they moved her. This is dangerous, won't you need help?"

"I would be better on my own. And this is something I'm taking personally." The asari smiled, hoping it at least looked genuine. It was amazing how quickly someone could slip back into old habits... "But I will bring her back. Even if the Alliance gives up on their own soldier, I'll keep looking. I always look out for my friends."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

It would be nearly two years before Althaea would be able to fulfill the promise she made to her friend.

Kaiah would be subjected to numerous terrors and tortures while in the batarians possession, and she would not be their only victim. Forced through tests and surgical modifications, the batarians would turn her and several others into weapons to be used against the humans and their Alliance forces.

Under this sick, sadistic nightmare, Kaiah found she was in danger of losing her very soul in Hell.


	5. The Present: To Keep a Promise

_**Mass Effect and all its characters and plotlines are property of BioWare. I am not making any money off this, and if anything I will be SPENDING money. I made this fanfiction and all following chapters solely for the entertainment of myself and others. (And it gives me something to do during the night shift.)**_

_**Kaiah and co. belong to me.**_

_**Reviews are welcomed and encouraged, as is constructive criticism. Flames are not.**_

* * *

Althaea cruised steadily through the Attican Traverse in her small starship. The controls and screens glowed before her, casting shadows across her hardened face. Communication channels were wide open across the board, allowing her to pick up on most transmissions. Scanners were operational, and picking up any vessel signatures in the "immediate" area.

All in all, though, it was very quiet.

This had been her routine for almost two galactic years now. At times it was depressing, but she was far too stubborn to give up. Althaea was determined to keep her promise to bring Kaiah back, and she would accept nothing less than her body. As determined as she was to find the human alive, a span of close to two years was not good odds.

Still lost in her thoughts, the commando started when the onboard VI beeped at her. "Anomaly detected in orbit around Mindoir." The computerized voice echoed through the vessel. Turning to inspect the screen of the scanner, Althaea's face was illuminated by the light, the lavender markings on her face suddenly a sharp contrast to her indigo skin. The screen showed a vague image of the planet, with several points marked on the map to show known settlement locations. Mindoir was constantly being raided, and the colonists were constantly rebounding. It spoke wonders for their resilience, human and alien alike. The population was almost entirely human, though on occasion a non-human trading vessel would pass by the area and risk stopping in to make a few extra credits.

Althaea watched the data stream across the screen, scanning for words, images, and coordinates that stood out or seemed familiar. From the looks of it, the "anomaly" was a kowloon-class freighter, or something similar to it. It was registered to an independent human merchant by the name of Marcus Vanderhayden, and upon noticing the name, Althaea frowned. "That's a familiar name... bring up reports of all known missing starships for the past three months." A small window popped up on her screen with a list, sorted by date. "Select human owned vessels." It didn't shorten the list much, but at least now she only had to work with two thirds of it. "Select vessels that disappeared within the Attican Traverse." Four listings remained.

One of them was Mr. Marcus Vanderhayden.

"I thought so." Althaea muttered under her breath. Her hands flew across the control panels, swiftly shutting off non-essential systems. In theory, shutting off as many systems as possible gave one the chance of "running silent," which some individuals often tried to do when approaching or sneaking by other ships.

Of course, theory didn't always work in reality.

This time, though, reality seemed to lean in her favor. With the only light in the cabin coming from the communication screen, Althaea pulled her helmet over her head, snapping it in place and feeling the suit pressurize itself. As her ship drifted closer to the freighter, she realized she had been holding her breath. She found the adrenaline rush that appeared before undertaking some dangerous task was enjoyable, and she definitely had the "butterflies," as one human saying went.

While her ship started to list and rotate, Althaea noticed that one of the hatches of the freighter was open. Several small shuttles were leaving the sealed bay, and the commando could recognize a loose formation when she saw one. Her heartbeat increasing slightly, she guided her own ship after the shuttles, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Even if this was another dead lead on her missing friend, Althaea could still have a chance to vent her frustrations on some poor, unfortunate mercenary.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

It was quiet. Nearly everything was numb. The signals and commands had ceased to come through the control chip buried in the base of her skull, just above her L5n implant. These were the moments she cherished now, the silence and the peace she was often denied.

There was a strong possibility that the rest of her crew had similar feelings.

Kaiah sat in silence with the rest of her squad, giving any casual onlooker every reason to believe they were dead. They didn't move, they hardly blinked, and it was difficult to tell if they were breathing. For any one of them, death would have been a welcomed with open arms at this point.

No one in their right mind would agree to being forced against their will and controlled.

To her right, Kaiah sensed two of her squad mates, Zane and Tucker. Zane had been a genius when it came to espionage, stealth, and assassinations before the batarians captured her. Tucker had proven himself as an exceptional soldier, and was quite skilled in hand-to-hand combat as well as the use and maintenance of a variety of firearms. To her left, she was aware of Maya and Darrin. Maya possessed the technical aptitude of a quarian, and it was likely the very reason she was even present. Besides that, she was an excellent pilot. Darrin was a lot like Tucker, an exceptional soldier, but he was a master mechanic. If it had an engine of some sort, he could fix it and make it even better.

Kaiah was the hub for the group. Possessing a general sampling of her companions skills, she was a jack of all trades and a master of none. The only thing that truly gave her an edge was her biotic abilities and high-risk, reckless style of combat. But even her boldness couldn't stand up to the control chips that each of them carried. If they even entertained the thought of defying a command, the control chip would send a signal to the collar around that individual's neck to initiate a powerful electric shock as punishment. Such a surge was powerful enough to damage or outright fry the cybernetic implants that they had. And in Kaiah's case, those cybernetics were scattered all throughout her body.

The batarians had learned a while ago that the affects of the punishments on Kaiah were less than satisfactory. The surgical modifications required to insulate her systems against farther disciplinary action was about as pleasant as being a varren's living chew toy.

Suddenly, the signals started coming in through the control chips loud and clear. Each human looked up before regarding each other and finally focusing on Kaiah. Instead of acknowledging her companions, she simply raised her head and stared at a spot on the wall in front of her. The electronic optics implanted in her head gave her blue eyes a sort of red backlighting. The scars marring her face also glowed with the same color, revealing the cybernetics that covered her skeleton, or were woven into her muscles and skin.

"Understood." It was as though Kaiah spoke to herself, but they all knew that the batarians controlling them could hear them.

They had their orders. Clear a path for the raiders. Leave no survivors. Destroy everything.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Althaea set her starship down at the opposite end of the targeted settlement, behind several large warehouses. Keeping close to the shadows, she snuck deeper into the small town, watching with a strange sort of fascination as panic rippled through the colony. She could hear the chaotic sounds of battle coming from the other end of town, and it definitely sounded one sided. Whoever the attackers were, the colonists obviously weren't winning.

Pausing to get her bearings, Althaea pulled her assault rifle from it's holster on her back and expanded it. Checking to be sure she had a fresh thermal clip in, she raised the weapon and looked down it's sight. Satisfied, she continued to advance down the street, lowering the weapon anytime a terrified colonist ran in front of her. As she approached the corner of a nearby building, Althaea steadied herself for a second before turning past the corner and bringing her rifle to the ready.

Just in time to watch an armored and helmeted raider, kneeling above a man who was sprawled on his back on the ground, shove the barrel of an M-6 Carnifex against his face and pull the trigger.

Without even waiting for her opponent to get up from their kneeling position, Althaea spent her entire thermal clip as she unloaded a barrage of bullets on her target. The armored assailant jerked with each strike, and fell back onto the ground when the kinetic barrier was finally drained. The commando quickly advanced, ejecting the spent thermal clip and slamming a fresh one in it's place with one smooth motion. Even as she brought the sights up onto her enemy, she saw a familiar blue energy flow across the armor.

A biotic. Even better. This would be fun. Grinning, the asari pulled the trigger again, only to watch in annoyance as the metal slugs bounced off the barrier, then the kinetic shield. Determined not to waste another clip, Althaea replaced it before launching a mass of dark energy at the armored killer before her. She watched with grim satisfaction as they thrashed about in a poor attempt to escape the mass effect field that was eating away at their barriers.

Just as Althaea got a bead on her target's head, she felt a sudden and violent blow connect with the small of her back, just to the right of her spine. Gasping in surprise and pain, she dropped like a rock, fighting the urge to grab the spot and check for blood in favor of maintaining her hold on the rifle. Althaea scrambled to the side to put some distance between herself and her unseen attacker, before gingerly getting back to her feet and turning around. Right before her eyes, she saw a petite humanoid form shimmer into view, and she cursed the galaxy for making her deal with cloaking technology.

Althaea could see that she was up against a human woman. The lower portion of her face was covered with some sort of breather mask, connected at the neck to the lightweight armor suit that covered her body. The black suit had purple armor plating on the shoulders, chest, back, forearms, outer thighs, and shins, with armored gloves and boots to match. The entire scheme made her think of a futuristic version of the human's ninja. Althaea recognized the belt as a kinetic barrier generator, but it was the face that really caught her attention. Two eyes of a startling turquoise blue color glared out over the mask, and long dark strawberry blonde hair fell haphazardly past her shoulders. The human didn't look very old, and Althaea was sure she wasn't even past her early twenties. If she had seen someone similar wandering the Citadel, the asari would never have thought she was even capable of firing a gun.

This was apparently a notion the human was determined to squash, as she quickly drew her own sidearm and fired it at Althaea.

Her kinetic barrier shimmered, flickered, as Althaea sprinted to escape. As soon as she heard the pistol click "empty," however, she abruptly spun around and thrust her hand towards the woman. The biotic attack picked up her lightly armored foe and threw her against the side of a small shed. Out of the corner of her eye, Althaea saw her original quarry picking themself up off the ground, the helmet shaking from side to side as though in a daze. This one wore heavier armor, but she couldn't recognize the manufacturer. It was nearly all black, with some gray accents and blue lights to show weapon placement.

The indigo-skinned alien dodged several vicious strikes, trying to return blow for blow while keeping her eyes on both opponents. She became increasingly more uncomfortable as the first raider advanced on her, holstering the hand cannon and pulling a Scimitar shotgun from it's spot on their lower back. Althaea quickly maneuvered herself towards her new objective, working to keep the scrapper between herself and the deadly scattergun. She had seen those particular firearms at work, and the only other shotgun she didn't want to be on the business end of was the Eviscerator.

Once everyone was within range, Althaea pushed the waif of a woman away with a biotic blast, quickly turning her melee assault on her more heavily armored foe. She did her best to keep the shotgun muzzle away from her. The last thing she wanted was to take a blast at point blank range. Blow for blow was traded, and it wasn't long before the turquoise woman had rejoined the fray. Althaea knew that at this rate, they would quickly overwhelm her. So she did the only think she could think of.

Calling up as much biotic power as she dared, Althaea turned and swung her arm at the helmeted head in a savage backhand.

Her breath hitched in her throat as she watched the helmet become separated from the rest of the armor. The helmet itself soared across the narrow road, and Althaea half expected to see a head or at least some blood come flying out of it.

The only thing that kept her from truly cursing her luck was the fact that she hadn't accidentally decapitated the human. Before she could see her enemy's face, Althaea was forced to reengage the smaller raider in nothing short of a fist fight. It wasn't until she had successfully beaten her back enough to blast her away again that she was able to turn around. What she saw made her feel like she had swallowed lead, and she almost wanted to cry. Althaea very nearly forgot how much danger she was still in.

It was those same deep blue eyes that haunted both her good and bad dreams, despite the fact than an eerie red light seemed to shine behind them. The woman had a multitude of scars criss-crossing her face and neck that glowed a dark orange, nearly red color. Jagged black hair fell down to her jaws, her bangs hanging in chunks over eyes that held a horrible tortured look to them. "Oh, goddess..." Althaea made a conscious effort to keep from falling to her knees. "Kaiah!"


	6. No Comrade Left Behind

_**Wow, it's been a minute since I touched this story, huh? I figure since Mass Effect 3 is coming out in a few days, I should probably pick it up again. Sorry for the hiatus, real life's a pain. On an unrelated note, I was told if I killed off Althaea, someone was going to reach through my internet and throttle me. ._.  
**_

_**Mass Effect and all its characters and plotlines are property of BioWare. I am not making any sort of profit off this story. I made this fanfiction and all following chapters solely for the entertainment of myself and others.  
**_

_**Kaiah and co. belong to me.**_

_**Reviews are welcomed and encouraged, as is constructive criticism. Flames are not.**_

* * *

"Oh goddess. Kaiah!"

Kaiah sat on the ground before her, a pained grimace twisting her facial features. Only then did Althaea notice the collar around her friend's neck. It sparked ominously as arcs of electricity danced across the surface. "Al... Althaea..." Kaiah rasped. "Help... me. Please, god..." Blood oozed freely out of her mouth. Horrified, Althaea realized the young woman was gnawing her own cheek and tongue in an attempt to control herself."

As Althaea knelt down to assess the collar, Kaiah's eyes flashed red and the glow under her scars intensified. In one sudden motion, the human lunged forward, grabbing her shotgun and raising it to the asari's face. It was like watching it all in slow motion; Althaea was positive she was about to die at the hands of her friend. Even as she moved, Kaiah turned her firearm around, bringing the butt of the shotgun up to bash the commando in the face with it.

Just before the stock made contact, Kaiah jerked in time to thrust the weapon past Althaea's head.

The dull crunching sound just behind the alien came as a surprise. Althaea tured to see that Kaiah's companion was sprawled on the ground, unconscious, blood pouring from her breather mask. "What... But she-"

"Don't argue! Just- hyagk!" Kaiah clawed at the contraption around her neck as it started to arc again. "Help me!"

This time, Althaea didn't hesitate. Grabbing the collar on either side of the electronic lock, she set her omni-tool to begin cracking the code while she attempted to pry it off the soldier's neck. As uncomfortable as the shocks were, Althaea refused to give up. It wasn't until her own omni-tool beeped and the collar came apart in her hands that the electric current stopped coursing through her. "By the goddess! Who the hell is barbaric enough to use that on someone else?"

Kaiah could only cough and rasp, her throat and mouth raw from the shock collar. Suddenly fatigued, she slumped forward against Althaea, still twitching from the affects of the collar. "Hnng... chip in my head... above the implant. Disable it, quick, before someone notices."

Pulling the woman's hair up, Althaea saw a small device embedded in Kaiah's skull. She hadn't ever seen anything like it, and it bothered her. "Kaiah... I'm not a doctor. I can't dig that out right here."

"I didn't say remove it." Kaiah twitched again as she spoke between breaths. "Just disable it... I can't fight it forever. Put some omni-gel on it and give it a charge. I'll get it out later."

Althaea chewed her lip. "But that could hurt... or worse, damage something. I don't want to do that."

"And I could hurt you! If you don't - hyg!- get this, I won't be able to fight it and I'll just dig it out myself!"

That mental image was a bit much for the azure-skinned commando. Clenching her jaw tight, Althaea removed the small canister of semi-molten material from the pouch on her belt. Kaiah used one hand to keep her hair up, the other bracing herself against the ground while the gel was applied to the chip. "This may hurt. I'm sorry." Pressing a couple buttons on her omni-tool, she set the device to deliver a small shock to the control chip.

The omni-gel started to bubble and sizzle as it worked through the chip, eliciting a startled and pained yelp from the young human. It sparked only once or twice, then continued to smoke as the circuit was finally fried. "Oh god, finally." Kaiah visibly relaxed, shoulders dropping as the tension left her body. "You have no idea what it's like... to feel someone controlling your thoughts and actions. It's like a, uh, a constant whisper and prod, but inside your brain." She sat down then, leaning back on her hands. "Silence really is fucking golden."

"I have to get you away from here." Althaea grabbed her friend by the arm and hauled her to her feet. "Come on, my ship isn't far."

"No."

Althaea blinked. "What?"

"I said no." Kaiah looked down at the girl she had clobbered with her shotgun. "I can't leave them. They're stuck in hell right now."

Several long moments of silence passed between the two. Kaiah waited for a reaction, and it looked as though Althaea was trying to decide if she really wanted to bring more people with her. "How many?"

"Four others."

"What are your plans?"

Kaiah focused her gaze on Althaea, and the asari realized that the red glow in the marine's eyes was from the optic implants in her head. "Those batarian bastards tortured each of us for the better part of two years, Althaea. They have a combined ten years of payback headed their way, if we can get them all back." She narrowed her eyes. "Why were you looking for me? Why did you bother searching?"

"Because you're my friend! I couldn't just leave you out there. The Alliance wasn't even looking for you, anymore, everyone is too busy with the war!"

The commando would have to fill in all the empty gaps with details later. "Well, these people are my friends, and I'm not leaving them out here either." Kaiah picked up the omni-gel canister from where it had been discarded, then kneeled and rolled her unconscious companion over. "We all went through this nightmare together, and I'm going to make sure we leave it together. One way or the other..." Her voice trailed off as she applied a glob to the woman's control chip. Kaiah looked around her immediate area, presumably to find something to charge the gel, even while she pried the purple breather mask off her friend's face.

Althaea crouched behind her, reaching her arm and omni-tool around Kaiah's side to the back of her comrade's head. The omni-tool beeped as it set to work on the collar, pausing only long enough to deliver the necessary electrical charge to the active control chip. The girl twitched and whimpered, then relaxed and went limp as the collar opened with a click. "I've gotten this far, Kaiah." The asari smiled thinly, aware that her friend could probably tell it was forced. "You aren't doing this alone."

The marine smiled. "Thank you. It... it means a lot." Kaiah slung the comatose woman over her shoulder before struggling to her feet. "We got time. The batarians will be here for a couple days to pick this place clean. With any luck, they'll think Zane and I were finally killed."

Zane made a gurgling noise as she was carried to a nearby shed; Kaiah took no time at all to get used to the girl's weight. Once they reached the door, Althaea stood guard while Kaiah activated the keypad and opened the storage unit, and the second the door slid open, the women slipped inside and sealed it up. The unresponsive girl was propped up against a wall before Kaiah even began to look around.

A supply shed was probably one of the better sheds they could have ended up with. Still extremely sore, she took note of her growing headache as Althaea helped her open one of the crates, only to snort at the number of medkits and ration boxes that were so tightly packed inside. Regardless of the assumed uselessness of the contents, a couple of the kits were removed before the crate was allowed to close. Kaiah ripped open one and tossed the other to the asari before speaking. "May as well get me and princess here patched up and moving again. Then we can start looking for the others."

"Who specifically are we looking for?" Althaea opened her medical kit with a bit more care than her friend had. It would do no good to damage some of the kits contents, none of them were in good shape.

"Two males and a female. They -should- all be together, but Tucker likes to wonder off and do his own thing... likes to work alone, and the chip lets him. Maya's a little Latina, about Zane's size, but with a mouth and attitude if you get her angry. Derrin's... he's big, built like an ox. The batarians thought it would be funny to make him arm wrestle a krogan."

Althaea wasn't entirely sure what an "ox" was, but it sounded big. "... So what happened?"

"He broke the krogan's arm."

"You have to be joking." The flat, serious look on Kaiah's face made it clear that she was not. "Lovely. I'm looking forward to having all your friends aboard my ship..."

"We're a charming bunch. You'll learn to love them."


	7. Starting the RoundUp

_**Next chapter! Working on the ones after this. I may or may not have finally figured out where I want this to go.**_

_**Also, my beta reader sucks at finding spelling and grammar mistakes. :[  
**_

_**Mass Effect and all its characters and plotlines are property of BioWare. I am not making any sort of profit off this story. I made this fanfiction and all following chapters solely for the entertainment of myself and others.  
**_

_**Kaiah and co. belong to me.**_

_**Reviews are welcomed and encouraged, as is constructive criticism. Flames are not.**_

* * *

"Fucking bitch! You could have broken my nose!"

"Keep it up, precious, and I really will mess up that pretty face of yours."

Zane muttered a string of derogative phrases under her breath as she gently pulled the rag from her face. The nosebleed had renewed itself when she woke up coughing, and Althaea would have been moved to help of the young woman hadn't immediately bared her teeth. Kaiah didn't seem at all phased by her actions, and even seemed to enjoy the unusual exchange. The asari could tell they were close, more than normal friends, and the thought made her bristle with jealousy. But yet, they weren't lovers. Perhaps more like sisters, or close cousins.

Of course, Althaea wasn't sure if it was normal for two people who were so close to punch each other. Even if it was supposed to be a sign of affection.

"Oh, I can't tell you how awesome it is to be alone in my own head. I swear, it's almost orgasmic." Again, the rag was removed, and Zane gave a relieved sigh when it was clear the bleeding had finally stopped. She continued to talk as she used a couple sterile wipes to clean her face. "Where'd you meet your squeeze over there?"

Kaiah seemed to bristle, and Althaea found she had to suppress a laugh. "She's not-!" Kaiah caught herself, then exhaled in a huff. "We're just friends. We met on the Citadel a couple ye- er, a while back. Before this."

"The Citadel? Never been. I hear it's interesting."

"If you're good, you'll get the chance to see it."

Althaea listened to the two talk as they tended wounds and sifted through the contents of the storage shed. Every so often, she would slide the door open just enough to check outside, before sealing it again. "I think we can move soon. Do you know where to go?"

"A general idea." Kaiah played with the settings on her Carnifex, and the barrel was soon illuminated with a soft purple hologram. The same was done to her shotgun. "All we'd really have to do is follow the sounds of a fight."

"Or listen for explosions!" Zane's voice came from behind several crates. Althaea was a bit disturbed by how stealthy and quick the human could be.

"Yes, or explosions." The biotic woman finished adjusting both firearms, before collapsing the hand cannon and lifting her shotgun up to rest over a shoulder. "You find anything back there?"

"Just a bunch of crap, nothing special. A bunch of SMGs, some just-above-crappy shotguns, probably only good for scaring off wild animals and small children. Got some nice little odds and ends, though, but nothing useful in the long run." Zane's voice had somehow managed to migrate over to the other end of the shed. It was a wonder there was space at all back there.

Kaiah made a face, before stooping to scoop up several thermal clips that Zane had tossed over the wall of crates to them. Extras were stored in compartments on her belt and armor. "Grab what you want, and let's move."

"You must be joking. I'd only take this trash if I was going to go to Omega and sell it."

Althaea rolled her eyes in silence as she opened the door to leave, both humans close behind with a few more medkits and fresh thermal clips. If anything, her day was at least interesting.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Blood spatters covered the kitchen wall, a silent and gory testament to the violence that had occurred just moments ago. The bodies of a man, a woman, and what could have been their teenage son lay where they had fallen. The father's knees and right hand were so much pulped meat and bone, and the son's face looked as though someone had attacked it with a meat grinder. Mercifully, the woman bore only a single bullet in her forehead. However, the mess that used to be the back of her skull spoke of the type of deadly, modified slug that took her life.

Two children, a girl no more than ten years old and a boy barely half that, huddled together in a cabinet next to the wash station of the housing unit. Blood oozed slowly from the girl's mouth; she was biting her own lip in order to stay silent. One hand was clamped over her younger brother's mouth, in an effort to keep him quiet as well, and her free arm was tight around his shoulders to keep him still. As long as they stayed like that, they wouldn't be found.

Right?

There was movement outside the cabinet. Was it survivors? Batarians? The killer? Both children were getting anxious, but neither wanted to be found by the wrong people. Whatever it was, it stopped just outside their hiding spot. The siblings held their breath in anticipation, waiting for whatever it was to move on.

Suddenly, the door was yanked open, and before them crouched a giant of a man. He had dark brown skin, black hair cut in some strange fade style, and deep brown eyes.

The eyes of their killer.

A panicked squeal came from the girl as he reached for them. Desperately, both children scrambled backwards as fast and as far as possible to avoid the clutches of the monster. Just when it seemed as though their time had run out, they heard it. At first, it was nothing more than a faint rumble, then a roar. Above it all, they heard a bellow.

A challenge.

The force of the impact rocked the small unit, accompanied by the sound of tearing metal. The man looked up at something neither child could see, but they watched as his eyes widened in surprise before the charging biotic mass collided with him, throwing him away and through the nearby window. In place of the biotic field stood what looked like a soldier dressed in black and gray armor. The helmet of the soldier turned to look directly at them, before speaking in a synthesized voice. "Are you alright?" When neither child answered, the helmet was yanked off to reveal the face of a woman, with short cropped black hair and strange criss-crossing scars on her face. "Hey, you listening? Tell me if you're ok or not!"

The girl finally nodded, her mouth still open in shock. With a curt nod of her own, the woman jammed her helmet back on and jumped out the window after her target. Not long after, the face of an asari moved into their view, before she extended a hand. "Come here. Let's get you out, alright?" Neither of them objected to the help offered, and Althaea made sure to keep them out of sight of the bodies just across the room.

Once outside, they saw that the man was stuck in a headlock, while Kaiah struggled to drag her much larger opponent to the ground. It would have been comical, almost, if it wasn't likely to end in her death. Farther down the road, the sharp staccato sound of sub-machine gun fire echoed among the buildings as Zane shot out from between two units, firing over her shoulder at the combat drone that was hot on her heels.

"Short, controlled bursts!" Kaiah yelled. She brought her knee up into the man's chest, only to topple when it was grabbed and jerked awkwardly to one side.

"Shut up and keep wrestling!" Zane finally turned her gunfire onto the armored and clearly female assailant behind her, who was trying to replace the recently destroyed drone.

Althaea quickly ushered her two charges around the side of the building to a shelter just behind it. She had managed to find a small handful of survivors while Kaiah and Zane had combed the colony for signs of their peers. It had taken some convincing, but she had gotten them to group up and even loaned her shotgun and sidearm to them for protection. Once the shelter was secured once more, she rushed back back towards the fighting in time to watch Kaiah take a punch to the back of her helmet. With an infuriated yell, Althaea unleashed her biotic assault, picking up Kaiah's attacker and slamming him into the ground before launching him back through the broken window. Eyes still on her target, she knelt by Kaiah to make sure she was alright. "Are you hurt?"

Kaiah simply waved a hand, like one would do to shoo a fly away, before shaking her head. "Don't worry about me! We need to get that collar off Derrin and disable his chip. I don't think I can take another hit like that." Without another word, she got to her feet, swaying just slightly before steadying herself, and jumped through the window again.

In a sort of exasperated silence, Althaea could only pinch the bridge of her nose. "Goddess, what am I getting myself into?"


	8. Fewer Companions is Just More Marks

_**Did some editing in previous chapters. I tried to stick with just spelling, grammar, and word usage. However, I did change the location from Horizon to Mindoir. Horizon wasn't fitting with the story line I have in mind. If you see errors, let me know!  
**_

_**Like I said, this story is a definite WIP. I'll end up changing the summary at some point, and likely the story title as well. Lord, I'm so out of this writing thing.**_

_**EDIT: Didn't finish a sentence. Derp.  
**_

_**Mass Effect and all its characters and plotlines are property of BioWare. I am not making any sort of profit off this story. I made this fanfiction and all following chapters solely for the entertainment of myself and others.  
**_

_**Kaiah and co. belong to me.**_

_**Reviews are welcomed and encouraged, as is constructive criticism. Flames are not.**_

* * *

Zane darted behind the burned out husk of a small fork lift, crouching low and listening for her pursuer before fidgeting with her omni-tool. She smacked her wrist and cursed as soon as she realized her cloaking devices were inoperable. "Stupid tech geeks and their stupid drones, with their stupid tech, stupid, stupid, stupid..." Still fuming, she adjusted the sight on her firearm and inspected the thermal clip before trying to squeeze herself into the gap between where the front wheels once were, and the main body of the machine.

It wasn't long before she heard the footsteps. Maya always was a soft walker, compared to Kaiah's heavy-boot stomp and Darrin's right leg hitch. She had to strain to hear, but Zane could tell the the tech expert was attempting to creep around the left side of the wreck. Without the advantage of stealth, she would have to be quick in disabling Maya's equipment. At least the woman wasn't carrying around a damn security turret...

As soon as the foot came into view, Zane pounced. She struck her first on the left wrist, latching onto the source of Maya's omni-tool, before kicking out at the inside of one knee. Maya began to lift her Shuriken to aim it at Zane's chest, only to be shoved roughly to the ground and have her gun wrenched from her grasp. "Sorry, darling." Zane purred, tossing the weapon to the side after giving it an ugly look. "We're fighting on MY terms."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The floor of the building they fought in seemed to rumble with each blow they traded. Kaiah apparently hadn't been joking when she said the man was as strong as an ox. The shields her armor provided were strained to their limits whenever she didn't avoid a hit, and she had to biotically charge her own attacks to even make Darrin falter. It was hard to see her face under the dented helmet, but Althaea imagined it was one of frustration and pain. Nothing seemed to slow the mountain of a man down, and still Kaiah refused to let her asari friend get involved. It wasn't so much that she was worried the commando would get hurt, no. It was more because Darrin was likely to fight even that until he simply expired from the effort.

That, of course, was counterproductive.

It was a shame Darrin's ability to put holes in metal walls with his fist was not matched by his will to resist being controlled.

One of the last times Kaiah had been pitched through a window, they had finally come up with a plan. Kaiah would keep Darrin focused on her, long enough for Althaea to get close enough to disable the collar. After that, it was simply a matter of subduing him long enough to fry the implant. First, though, it required them all to be out in the open, away from anything he could smash someone against with lethal results.

Kaiah ducked to the side, just fast enough to avoid having Darrin's foot planted squarely into her face. Even though he was nothing more than a dog on a leash at this point, the biggest problem was that he was a SMART dog. She couldn't just get him to follow her out of the room, and it annoyed her when he would stop at the doorway and just glare daggers at her until she advanced out of principle. That was fine, though. She really didn't have a problem using her biotics to toss him out the door. Darrin thrashed the whole time he was moved, struggling to overcome the affects of the biotic field around him. He fought hard enough that Althaea actually stepped in to help Kaiah physically drag him out into the open.

The second he was released, he charged Kaiah like an angry bull. She braced herself for the impact, and had to dig her boots into the ground to keep from from being knocked back. With one arm wrapped around his neck, she rained blows down on his head with the butt of her shotgun until she felt he was sufficiently stunned. "Hurry up! Get that done before I have to take another hit. Internal bleeding is NOT on my to-do list today."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Maya was a hell of a pain-in-the-ass. Zane had suffered burns, shocks, a concussion, even her omni-tool shorting out. But finally, FINALLY, she got the drop on the technician. Both were proficient in melee combat, but Zane specialized in it. Of course, that meant she generally wasn't likely to hit the broad side of a dreadnought. The fight better have been worth the effort, because Kaiah was getting a damn earful for this.

The stealther stomped down the narrow road, dragging the unconscious Maya behind her by a leg. "That stupid... UGH! My cloaking equipment is busted, I've got burns inside my armor, and my HAIR is frizzing! I'm going to KILL her." Zane stopped, huffing, before she looked around to get her bearings.

"... Fuck. Took the wrong damn turn."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Kaiah sprawled on her back, her battered helmet having been removed some time before they had finally overtaken Darrin. Althaea sat beside her, legs crossed, head in one hand and her half-full canister of omni-gel in the other. Both were covered in dirt, with a miriad of scrapes and bruises. Kaiah was sure her left shoulder was dislocated, and she could see a small gash over the asari's right eye that trailed back to her fringe.

"If I ever have to fight your friend..." Althaea spoke between gasps of air, narrowed eyes pinning Kaiah with a glare. "I think I'm just going to shoot him."

"But see, now, if anything-" Kaiah paused to grimace. Internal bleeding was entirely possible. She'd have to deal with it later. "-tries to pick a fight, he'll just put it through a wall and you'll never have to deal with it."

Darrin snored, face-down in the dirt. The burly man's collar was in pieces, his chip nothing more than a smoking bit of scrap. "I should hope so." The commando stared at the fallen human for a moment. "... How can he SLEEP like that?"

"Honestly? I envy him. I'd love to pass out. Sleep hasn't come easy for any of us." Kaiah covered her face with a hand, rubbing at her eyes. "Any time we tried, th-"

"Holy shit." An aggravated voice interrupted them, causing both to start. Zane practically threw down Maya's leg, glaring. "I have to beat the blessed HELL out of Maya here, and you two are LOUNGING? What the hell?"

"Don't get your pants in a twist." Kaiah scowled. "Darrin's down. Bring her here, we'll get that thing off before she wakes up." She paused, squinting at Zane. "... is your armor burned?"

"'Is your armor burned?'" Zane mimicked her friend in a high pitched voice. "Of course it is! She tried to COOK me! The only reason she isn't dead is because she's better with hair than you are." She proceeded to drag Maya closer, still muttering. "At least I don't have to help you with him. Got a lock on Tucker?"

Kaiah flinched. "... no."

The silence that followed caused Althaea to look up from her work on Maya's chip. Zane looked ashen, but something told the asari that it wasn't due to blood loss. Even Kaiah looked... uncomfortable. "What? What's wrong?"

The two conscious humans glanced at each other, before Kaiah spoke up. "Tucker... he's a sniper."

"... Damnit."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The rifle lay on the ground, it's barrel kept up out of the dirt by a small bi-pod. Behind it, a man writhed in pain, his hands clawing at the sparking electronic band between his helmet and the rest of his combat suit. Everything had been fine, until he had seen his companions through the scope of the Mantis. Watching Kaiah resist, and then be FREED, caused something in him to almost... awaken? That sounded like a good term. This whole mess was like one big, unending nightmare.

The man fell still, his dark visor fogging up with his panting breath. Slowly, stiffly, he rolled over onto his stomach, dragging the sniper rifle closer and getting into a more comfortable prone position. "Yes... I understand." He droned, completely monotone with his words. "Confirming new targets."

Tucker peered through the weapon's scope, seeking out his next mark.


End file.
